Printing press



C. S. CRAFTS PRINTING PRESS Sept. 10, 1935.

Filed May '7, 19:52 s sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR C. S. CRAFTS PRINTING PRESS Sept. 10, 1935.

3 sheets-sheet 2 Filed May '7, 1952 TOR ATTORNEY Sept. 10, 1935.

c. s. CRAFTS 2,014,016

PRINTING PRESS Filed May '7, 1932 5 sheets-sheet s ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING PRESS Curtis S. Crafts, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to The Goss Printing Press Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application May 7, 1932, Serial No. 609,785

4 Claims.

l webs.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical section showing the present illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; y

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure l; and

Figure 6 is a plan view taken along the line 6 6 of Figure 1.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved folding mechanism for high speed printing presses particularly adapted for the cross-association of a plurality of webs or groups of associated webs. A further object is the provision of a novel and improved cross-associating mechanism in which the correct registration of the groups of webs is facilitated. Still another object is the provision of a folding mechanism particularly adapted for use in connection with printing presses for printing tabloid newspapers.

In accordance with the present invention, the folding mechanism includes a pair of formers and their cooperating transverse folding and cutting mechanisms, with driven compensating and drawing rollers for guiding the web from the one former into association with the web from the to contact only with the marginal portions of the webs and are driven at press speed, thereby giving better control of the webs and keeping them in proper alinement which is diiiicult when they are driven at overspeed as has heretofore 5 been the practice.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred and illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, two side-by-side formers I0, of conventional construction, are provided for longitudinally folding the two halves of the perfected web or associated webs. As is usual, the longitudinally folded, and generally slit, webs are drawn over the nose of these formers by drawing rollers Ii and the longitudinally folded webs may be fed .to their respective transverse folding mechanism by means of nipping rollers I2, I3, i4 and I5. The transverse folding mechanisms comprise cylinders I6 carrying the folding blades and cutting cylinders I 'I closely adjacent thereto and between which the longitudinally folded webs are fed. Cylinders I6 and I 'I are of substantially conventional construction, but cylinder i5 is provided with raised rings I6', to engage the marginal portions of the webs. The body portion of folding cylinder I 6 is driven at web speed instead of the usual slight overspeed, and the raised rings produce a slight overspeed at the point of enu gagement of the rings with the web.

Means are provided for driving the nipping rollers and for this purpose mitre gear 20, fast on press-driven shaft 2|, meshes with a mitre gear 22, fast on shaft I3', for nipping roller I3. A cooperating nipping roller I2, rotatably mounted by its shaft I2', is driven from shaft I3 by means of gears 24 and 23 mounted on shafts I3' and I2' respectively, near one end of these shafts.

Nipping rollers I4 and I5 are also positively driven, and as embodied, a gear 26 is mounted externally of the frame 2l on shaft I3 and meshes with a gear 28 of the same diameter mounted externally of the frame on shaft I4'. Gears 29 and 30, in mesh with each other, are fast to shafts I4 and I5 and drive their corresponding rollers I4 and I5 at the same speed.

Means are provided for resiliently supporting one roller of each pair of nipping rollers, and for this purpose the ends of shafts I2' and I5 are journalled in suitable bearings supported by spring boxes 32, thereby permitting one roller of each pair to move perpendicularly toward and away from the longitudinally folded web.

For guiding the longitudinally folded webs from either of the formers and associating it with the longitudinally folded webs from the other former, a pair of nipping or drawing rollers is provided immediately above each transverse folding mechanism and serves to associate the two groups of webs prior to their being fed to the transverse folding mechanism and also maintains constant the angle at which the webs are led between the folding and cutting cylinders.

For this purpose, driven roller 34 and cooperating discs 35 are mounted below the nipping rollers I4 and I5, and one of these rollers is resiliently mounted at its ends by means of spring boxes 36, while the other roller is rotatably journalled and supported on the frame 21. Rollers 34 and 35 are positively driven by means of a gear 38 fast on shaft I4 and meshing with idler gear 39 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft projecting inwardly from frame 21. Idler 39 meshes with a gear 40 mounted on shaft 34 for roller 34, and roller 35 is driven therefrom by means of gears 4I and 42 mounted on shafts 34 and 35' respectively.

As will be seen from the foregoing description none of the resiliently mounted roller shafts carries the drive for others of the rollers, thereby simplifying the gearing, permitting free and easy movement of the resiliently mounted rollers, and rendering the speed of the rollers constant.

Means are provided for varying the distance of the web run from one side of the folding mechanism to the other, thereby permitting accurate registration of the plurality of webs with each other. For this purpose, a driven compensating roller is positioned between the two sets of rollers 34 and 35 and may be variably positioned to register one group of webs with the other. As embodied, a roller 45, mounted on its shaft and provided with raised, margin-engaging rings 45", is journalled in the ends of arms 46 which are supported on a shaft 4l', which in turn is journalled in the end frames 21. At one end, shaft 45 is provided with a gear 48 meshing with a gear 43 which is freely rotatable on shaft 41 and is in mesh with gear 29. Due to the fact that gear 49 is mounted concentrically with arms 46, the mesh between gears 48 and 49 is not disturbed through movement of the roller 45 and its supporting arms 46.

Preferably, and as embodied, the gear ratio of the various gears and the eifective diameters of the rollers I2, I3, I4, I5, 34, 35, and 45 are such that the surface of the rings on these rollers and rings I6 have a peripheral speed slightly in excess of the speed of the web so as to maintain the web taut under all conditions.

Means are provided for variably positioning the compensating rollers 45 and for securing them in any desired position, for the purpose of maintaining the register of one web with the other once this has been attained. For this purpose, an arm 50 is mounted externally of the frame on shaft 41 and at its outer end is pivoted to a threaded collar 5I cooperating with a rod 52 having a threaded end. Rod 52 is mounted in a sleeve 53 swiveled to the frame 2'1 and is also provided with an enlarged hand wheel 54 and a collar 55 preventing axial movement thereof. By turning the hand wheel 54, the operator can swing roller 45 around shaft 41 and thereby change the length of web run to correct the register of the several webs.

Means are also provided for locking the arm 5i! in any desired position and for this purpose it is provided with an arcuate slot 5G through which projects a screw 51 mounted on the frame. A wing nut 58 is threaded on screw 51 and may be tightened against the outer face of slot 56, thereby securing the arm and roller supporting arms 4G against movement.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be clear from Figure l and the web from the right-hand former Ill is led under the right-hand roller 34, over driven compensating roller 45 and is then associated with the web from the left-hand former I by means of rollers 34 and 35.

When it is desired to cross-associate the group of webs from the left-hand former with those from the right-hand former, the left-hand group is led under the left-hand roller 34, over the righthand driven compensating roller 45 and between the right hand pair of rollers 34 and 35.

The invention in its broader aspects is not lim ited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I claim istl. A folding mechanism for printing presses including in combination a pair of side by side formers, two pairs of nipping rollers for each former, one of each pair being mounted for yielding movement perpendicularly to the web, a folding cylinder and its associated cutting cylinder for each former and below the nipping rollers, a pair of drawing rollers between each folding cylinder and the nipping rollers, a compensating roller intermediate the formers over which one longitudinally folded web is led for cross associate runs, means for variably positioning the compensating roller including a pair of pivoted supporting arms therefor, means for driving all of said rollers at a speed slightly in excess of. that of the web,

the driving means for said compensating roller including a gear coaxial with the roller supporting arms, whereby said compensating roller may be driven in any of its positions, the driving means for .said rollers being carried by those rollers which are not yieldingly mounted.

2. A folding mechanism for printing presses including in combination side by side formers, a pair of nipping rollers for each former, one of each pair being mounted for yielding movement perpendicularly to the web, a folding cylinder and its associated cutting cylinder for each former and below the nipping rollers, a pair of drawing rollers between each folding cylinder and the nipping rollers, a compensating roller intermediate the formers over which one longitudinally folded web is led for cross associate runs, means for variably positioning the compensating roller, and means for driving all of said rollers at a speed slightly in excess of that of the web, the driving means for said rollers being carried by those rollers which are not yieldingly mounted.

3. A folding mechanism for printing presses including in combination side by side formers, a pair of nipping rollers for each former, one of each pair being mounted for yielding movement, a folding cylinder and its associated cutting cylinder below the nipping rollers, a pair of drawing rollers between each folding cylinder and the nipping rollers, a positively driven compensating roller in- Cil termediate the formers over which the longitudinally folded Webs from one former are led for cross associate runs, and means for variably positioning the compensating roller with reference to the formers.

4. A folding mechanism for printing presses including in combination side by side formers, a pair of nipping rollers for each former, one of each pair being mounted for yielding movement,

a folding cylinder and its associated cutting cylinder for each former and below the nipping rollers, a pair of drawing rollers between each folding cylinder and the nipping rollers, a compensating roller intermediate the formers over which the longitudinally folded Webs from one former are led for cross associate runs, means for variably positioning the compensating roller With reference to the formers, means for driving all of said rollers, the driving means for said rollers being carried by those rollers which are not yieldingly mounted.

CURTIS S. CRAFTS. 

